-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- 2009 has given employers and employees a run for their money -- literally . Budgets have been cut , layoffs made and furloughs instituted , and benefits and perks have evaporated .

At the beginning of the year , 38 percent of employers said the economy would force them to make administrative cuts sometime during 2009 , according to a survey by CareerBuilder.com .

Sixty-five percent of those employers indicated that they would cut back company social events , 61 percent anticipated curtailing business travel , 25 percent expected to scale back on health-care benefits and 11 percent planned to reduce wellness benefits .

Other areas where companies planned to cut spending included special office perks , such as coffee , ice machines or discounted vending -LRB- 34 percent -RRB- , incentive trips -LRB- 28 percent -RRB- and philanthropic activities -LRB- 21 percent -RRB- .

Such perks and benefits being taken away make for a tough situation for employees . Not only are they working harder to keep their jobs , but workers have to do more for less . While some argue that it 's hard to keep employees motivated in this situation , others say that they should n't focus on incentives , but rather think about the bigger picture .

`` When perks and benefits are taken away , management often does this to allocate resources where they 're needed , elsewhere . The money being saved by not buying bagels every Friday or purchasing Christmas gifts for employees may be going towards your salary , '' said Tom Gimbel , founder and CEO of LaSalle Network , a staffing and recruiting firm .

`` If you had to choose between taking a salary cut and not having free coffee versus being let go , most employees would likely take the former . ''

Urmil `` Tracy '' Marshall , coordinator for the Office of Diversity and International Affairs at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley , Georgia. , agrees that it 's important not to focus on what is being taken away . She said that due to budgetary constraints , furloughs were implemented at the school ; but rather than get discouraged , she focused on the positive .

`` I reminded myself how blessed I was to even have a job , '' Marshall said . `` We need to remind ourselves of our priorities in life , placing a greater emphasis on what we have -- not what we do n't . ''

Communication is key

Although it 's understandable for employees to be upset , frustrated and discouraged when benefits or perks are taken away , Kevin Sheridan , founder and CEO of HR Solutions , which specializes in helping organizations to keep employees engaged , said that employees are less likely to be upset if management communicates with employees .

In fact , 82 percent of employees surveyed in HR Solutions ' International Normative Database say that it 's important that their organization allow them to choose from a variety of benefits to meet their individual needs . The survey consisted of more than 3.3 million responses from 2,400 organizations .

`` If an organization 's leadership team simply decided amongst themselves which benefits would be best to cut , employees will commonly become upset and their engagement will be negatively affected , '' Sheridan says . `` Open communication is a key driver of engagement , and employees will immediately recognize the fact that they had no voice in the situation . If leadership had simply asked employees which benefits were important to them , this situation may be avoided . ''

Attitude is everything

Despite having to deal temporarily with a few displaced benefits or perks , there are benefits to sticking around with your employer until those things are reinstated .

`` It 's a good time to remember that the perks were never the reason that you liked the job . No one gets up in the morning saying , ` I 'm really excited to go to the office because there 's free coffee , ' '' said Paul Glen , author and management columnist . `` If people feel that the -LSB- cuts -RSB- are being made in a good-faith effort to save jobs , they will be even more loyal than before , since they believe that the company is working on their behalf -- not just for executives . ''

Additionally , according to the HR Solutions survey , 37 percent of employees have thought of resigning in the last six months . Twenty-three percent said they thought about leaving because of pay ; 18 percent because of a supervisor or manager ; 15 percent because of career advancement ; and 5 percent because of benefits . Thirty-nine percent considered it for other reasons .

`` This statistic is especially important because many organizations have cut benefits over the last six months , and it illustrates that the majority of employees have not thought of resigning as a result of adjusted benefits , '' Sheridan said .

`` These employees recognize the advantages of sticking around with a company , benefits or not , for advantages such as career development and compensation . Also , as soon as the economy picks up , many benefits programs will be re-evaluated ; employees sticking around with these organizations will not remain without benefits forever . ''

Workers should also remember that there could be consequences to abandoning a job just because you lost free coffee or a transportation reimbursement . If you 're thinking about leaving your job for such reasons , make sure that your missing perks outweigh any possible career advancement or opportunities you would receive if you stayed .

`` In this economy , it may be very hard to find another job , and there 's no guarantee that one will have free coffee , either , '' Glen said . `` Also , at the new job , even if it is good , the employee will have less tenure and is more likely to be cut in future layoffs . ''

If you 've had benefits or perks taken away in recent months and need help staying motivated , remember these five tips from our experts :

1 . Get over it

`` The longer you talk about it to fellow employees , the longer you will have bad feelings , cause others to have bad feelings and be less productive yourself , which is not what will help the company be able to restore what has been taken away , '' said Aubrey Daniels , author of `` Oops ! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time and Money -LRB- and What to Do Instead -RRB- . ''

2 . Find motivation

Sheridan encourages employees to find motivation through career planning with supervisors , interacting with co-workers or being proud of where they work . For example , an employee could volunteer to act as a sounding board for job candidates considering employment at the organization .

3 . Create your own perks

Nancy Irwin , a motivational speaker and author , said employees can take turns bringing in coffee , bagels or potluck lunches to help fill the void of things that have been cut .

4 . Understand what 's still offered and take advantage

Darcy Eikenberg , president and chief creative officer of Coach Darcy LLC , recalls a client who did n't sign up for a course because she thought training costs had been eliminated . She realized that a co-worker was taking the course and getting it paid for from tuition reimbursement , an area that had n't been cut . `` Do a deep dive into your company 's programs , policies and even discounts because there 's probably something you can use now , '' she said .

5 . Focus on the solution , not the problem

Concentrate on actions today that will affect your organization 's success and growth tomorrow , said Jonathan Berger , director of human resources at Direct Agents , an interactive advertising company .

`` Take this time as an opportunity to offer new ideas to your managers and take an active and entrepreneurial role in helping your company overcome straining times . If you do a good job , you may be rewarded for your efforts when things improve , '' he said . `` In addition , by taking on new challenges and opportunities , you can further develop your skills and make yourself a more valuable asset to any organization . ''

& copy CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .

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In a survey , many businesses said they would have to make large cuts in employee benefits

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Management should communicate these issues to help employees adjust said , Kevin Sheridan

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Darcy Eikenberg recommends for employees to dig deep and and find benefits still available

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Concentrate on actions today that will help your organization succeed , said Jonathan Berger